Archaeology and genetics have come together in a fascinating investigation into a skeleton discovered in the well of Sverresborg Castle, Norway, in 1938. The remains, which were recovered in 2016, had already confirmed the story told by Viking sagas as we reviewed then in our Spanish edition. Now, information about the man’s identity has been confirmed.

For the first time, a person described in historical texts has been identified through genomic analysis, marking a milestone in archaeological research. In the words of Professor Michael D. Martin, from the University Museum at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, this is the first time a person described in these historical texts has been found. This research opens a window not only into Europe’s medieval past but also into the evolution of the methods we use to understand our roots.

A passage from the Norse Sverris saga, the 800-year-old story of King Sverre Sigurdsson, describes a military raid that occurred in 1197 AD, during which a corpse was thrown into a well in Sverresborg Castle, just outside Trondheim, central Norway, likely as an attempt to poison the main water source for local inhabitants.

Sverresborg Castle Well
Genetics confirms the legend of the Viking sagas. Credit: Martin R. Ellegaard et al.

At the time of the remains’ discovery in 1938, technology allowed only a visual observation, so the chances of exploring the identity of the person to whom the bones belonged were limited. However, the advent of radiocarbon dating and advanced genetic sequencing techniques has enabled researchers to construct a more detailed image of the so-called “Well Man”. Radiocarbon dating has revealed that these bones are about 900 years old, placing them in medieval Norway. Studies conducted in 2014 and 2016 determined that he was a man between 30 and 40 years old at the time of his death, information that could not be obtained at that time.

In this search for historical precision, genomic technology has allowed a remarkable advance. Anna Petersén, an archaeologist at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, notes that ancient texts sometimes oversimplify facts. Reality is much more complex than what the texts show, she says, emphasizing how science allows us to corroborate historical events objectively. Thanks to a sample from a tooth obtained from the Well Man’s remains, the team was able to sequence his genome. This allowed them to determine, with high probability, that the man had blue eyes and blonde or light brown hair and that his ancestors were from the southernmost region of Norway, in what is now known as Vest-Agder County.

These results were possible thanks to an extensive database of contemporary Norwegian genomes, compiled in collaboration with Professor Agnar Helgason of deCODE Genetics in Iceland. The comparison between modern and ancient genomes is crucial for establishing ancestral lines. According to doctoral student Martin Rene Ellegaard, most of our work depends on having reference data, so the more ancient and modern genomes we sequence, the better future analysis will be.

Sverresborg Castle Well
(A) Photograph of the skeletal remains during a 2016 excavation. (B) Photograph of the skeletal remains during the 1938 excavation. (C) Photograph of the complete skeletal remains. (D) Photograph of the seven teeth recovered, with the tooth used for ancient DNA analysis indicated by a red star. (E) Schematic illustration of the experimental design for ancient DNA extractions. The red lines indicate the cut points along the tooth. Credit: Martin R. Ellegaard et al. / Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research / Riksantikvaren / Åge Hojem, NTNU University Museum

Despite these advances, the procedure is not without limitations and challenges. To sequence the Well Man’s genome, it was necessary to extract and grind the surface of his tooth to avoid contamination from those who had handled the find without adequate sterile conditions. However, this meant that the sample can no longer be reused for future research and limited the ability to detect pathogens that may have been present at the time of his death. It was a trade-off between removing surface contamination from those who had touched the tooth and preserving possible traces of pathogens. There are many ethical considerations, Ellegaard notes, suggesting that today’s decisions regarding analyses determine the possibilities for future research.

The research team expresses its interest in applying this technique to other historical figures, particularly figures such as St. Olaf, one of the most revered saints in Norwegian history and whose tomb is believed to be in Trondheim Cathedral. According to Professor Martin, the discovery of St. Olaf’s remains could allow not only the description of his physical traits but also tracing his lineage through genomic sequences.

Referring to this new technique that blends history and science, Petersén concludes: It is a fantastic result of what the Ellegaard and Martin method can bring to archaeology in such an unusual or rare context as this.

SOURCES

Cell Press

Martin R. Ellegaard, S. Sunna Ebenesersdóttir, et al., Corroborating written history with ancient DNA: The case of the Well-man described in an Old Norse saga. iScience, 2024; 111076 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111076

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